The Life and Death of Elizabeth Masen
by Damsell
Summary: This is the story of Edward Cullen's mother, Elizabeth Ward Masen.
1. Chapter 1

Elizabeth Masen fell in love for the first time in 1891. She was eight years old at the time and her name had been Elizabeth Ward.

It had been at the beginning of fall and, like every year before, she had been put on a train in Chicago and had been sent east to visit her grandparents. Her mother's parents coddled, loved her, and tried to spoil her as well, but she wasn't the type of child to ask for things.

Every year on her visit her parents would take her to the local fair. It was always one of the highlights of her trip. Her nana and gramps thought she enjoyed the games and food, but truth of the matter was she just took pleasure in watching the two of them act like youngsters, sneaking kisses and cuddling as they walked when they thought she wasn't looking.

The trip to the fair had almost not happened the year that she was eight. For almost a month the fall season had descended more rapidly than usual and her grandparents had been scared by the threat of a storm due to the fact that the skies had been overcast for days but, her gramps had seen the disappointment in her bright green eyes, despite the fact that she did not complain, and they had made the trip in spite of the overcast day.

The lack of sunshine had not spoiled their fun, at least not at first. She and her nana watched and cheered as her grandfather won a game where he had to throw a baseball at some stacked up milk jugs. The three of them had shared some roasted peanuts and she had had a hotdog. And, of course, nana and gramps where smooching when they thought she wasn't looking.

Eventually the weather broke into their fun and it became apparent that a storm was about to let loose as the wind began whipping at the ladies' skirts and the gentlemen's ties. They were racing back to her gramps' buggy when a gust of wind blew her hat off and sent it tumbling behind her. She ran after it without thinking. After all, it was a brand new hat that her papa had bought her.

She darted between families, couples, and booths as the wind continued to roll the hat away. It seemed like it was never going to stop when its bright red ribbon got caught on a tent peg and she finally caught up to it.

Giggling she picked it up and straightened out the ribbons as she whispered under her breath, "Silly hat." The smile of triumph that had formed on her lips when she had caught up with the hat quickly faded away as she looked around and realized she didn't know where she was and nana and gramps were nowhere in sight.

The storm was getting worse and the tents she was standing between began to shake with the force of the wind as rain started to drizzle down on her. She felt her heart hammering in her chest as her eyes widened in panic. Turning every which way she took in the scene around her and realized that the fair grounds were empty. All the revelers had escaped, trying to make it home and the workers were in their tents, avoiding the rain that was about to pour from the skies.

She started to run then, trying to remember where she had last seen nana and gramps or just trying to remember where he had left his buggy and horses, but being eight, she hadn't really paid attention when she had run off or when they had arrived at the fair to know where either place was.

As she ran the rain began to pour down, mingling with the tears that were now spilling down her cheeks. Her pretty copper locks, done up in braids, and her new red dress were soaked through in no time, but she didn't care. She had to find them!

As she ran her breath was coming out in ragged sobs as she looked every which way, but there was no nana and gramps and there was no one to help her. She was so intent on looking around that she tripped and fell, tripping over her own feet right into a mud puddle, her hands and knees now scraped and bleeding, but she didn't seem to notice and got up and started running again.

She could barely see anything between the tears and the rain that was being blown in her face by the wind so she didn't notice that she had run straight into someone's arms until a set of hard, ice cold arms were around her, holding her and hugging her.

The strong arms lifted her up and moved quickly through the rain, taking her into a nearby warm, dry tent that was empty with the exception of a bunch of crates. Even though she didn't know who it was, she clung to the man carrying her, burying her face, hot with tears, against his cold neck.

Eventually her rescuer spoke, his voice sounding like that of an angel. "Are you all right, little one? Did you get lost?"

Sniffling, she finally lifted her head and she was sure she was looking at the face of Jesus or an angel. Who else would be so beautiful? She could only stare at his perfect features, blonde hair, and eyes the color of butterscotch candy.

Then he asked in his beautiful voice, "Did you hurt yourself?"

She could only nod and sniffle again as he set her carefully down on a crate and leaned over to examine her skinned knees and scratched palms. With a smile he looked to her. "Oh, it's not too bad is it? I'm sure you've gotten worse falling down running from little boys."

He smiled a glorious smile at her and she smiled shyly back, forgetting the fact that she was lost and with a stranger. Truth was her parents and grandparents never worried much about Lizzy's exposure to strangers. Since she had been a child she had had the uncanny ability to read people. Her nana said she saw straight into people's souls and knew if they were good or bad, and this man was good. She knew that.

Kneeling in front of her, he removed a handkerchief from the breast pocket of his jacket and started to dab at the scraps on her knees. Smiling up at her he winked.

"Don't worry. I'm a doctor."

She finally spoke, her voice trembling from the adrenaline running through her veins. "D…doctor?"

He nodded and started to clean off her palms carefully. "Yes, Dr. Cullen, but you can call me Carlisle."


	2. Chapter 2

She looked confused for a second as he told her to call him Carlisle. "I…I don't th…think I'm allowed?"

He looked at the crates and opening one he pulled out a couple of cheap blankets that the fair organizers had been giving out as prizes as some of the booths. He used one and started to gently clean the mud off of her from her fall. "Not allowed to do what, dear one?"

She watched as he cleaned her off and she whispered, "Call you Carlisle, D…Dr. Cullen."

He laughed at the irony that she had said his first name in the same sentence as addressing him as Dr. Cullen. "And why is that?"

"Papa says we should address p…people with the titles they've earned."

He smiled and threw aside the dirty blanket and wrapped the second blanket around her, rubbing her arms a bit through it as he tried to warm her up. "Oh, and what title does your father have, little miss?"

She giggled, "My papa is a mister."

Carlisle couldn't help but laugh at that and his laughter only served to make her relax even more. He made sure she was bundled up in the blanket. "Well, what should I call you?"

"My name is Lizzy, Lizzy Ward."

He grinned, "Well, Miss Ward, shall I go see if I can't find your papa for you?"

She shook her head, "I…I'm here with m…my….n…nana and g…gramps…" She looked as if she was going to cry again, but he immediately soothed her with a light hug.

"Don't worry, we'll find them."

As he said that, she believed him and cuddled against his cold hard chest, not really thinking about the fact that he was as hard and colds at the statues her momma took her to see in the park.

The wind and rain outside finally seemed to be dying down and he whispered. "Your grandfather will be here soon." And, though she didn't see how, she believed him so she wasn't surprised when she heard her gramps panicked voice outside the tent she was in after just a minute. "Lizzy! Lizzy Ward!"

The angel doctor smiled at her, kissed her forehead, and whispered, "Go. Don't keep him waiting."

She had kissed his cheek with a blush and had jumped off the crate, taking the blanket with her. Running out, she saw her grandfather looking around, a panicked expression on his withered features.

Her voice rang out clearly as she called out to him. "Gramps!"

He ran to her and immediately snatched her in his arm. She could tell he was scared by the way his heart was pound against her chest as he held her close and though, just a little while ago, she had been the one that needed soothing, it was now her turn to soothe him. "It's all right, gramps. I'm okay."

He was actually trembling as he held her close, picking her up. "I couldn't find you, Lizzy."

She felt his fear and it made her want to cry again and her voice was trembling as she spoke. "My hat…I got lost. I…I looked, but…"

He shushed her, "Shhh, it's all right. I've got you now, baby." Then, cradling her like she was a baby again, he started to walk in the direction where the buggy was, but as he started to leave, she remembered her angel doctor.

"Wait! My angel doctor!"

Her gramps stopped, looking confused. "Your what, Lizzy?"

She blushed, "Dr. Cullen. He helped me."

He looked even more confused and shook his head as if trying to understand. "Who?"

She pointed to the tent that she had run out of. "He helped me." Her gramps hadn't been ready to let her go so he went towards the tent, ready to thank whoever had helped her, but when they both peeked in, Carlisle was gone.

"It looks like your doctor friend is gone, Lizzy."

She frowned as she realized she hadn't thanked him and she hugged her gramps tighter as he started towards the buggy again.

That night as she lay in bed, all scrubbed nice and clean without a trace of mud with her scraps all patched up, she listened to her grandparents speaking softly in the next room.

Her gramps' voice still had an edge of fear to it. "I don't know what or who it was that helped her, but I'm grateful. I thought we had lost her for good…that they had taken her."

Her nana was trying to soothe him. "Yes, she gave us a good scare, but she's safe now and there's no need to bring it up again. If God sent her an angel, who are we to question it?"

When it went quiet after that she wondered if they were smooching again.

Since their conversation didn't pick up again she let her mind wander to her angel doctor's face. He was clearly the most handsome man she had ever seen. His voice, his smile, his face, his eyes, everything was perfect about him. In the dark she reached up and touched her forehead where his cold lips had touched her skin.

Her angel doctor wasn't imaginary. She knew he wasn't no matter what gramps and nana might believe. Closing her eyes with a sigh she snuggled up under the covers and dreamt of butterscotch eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

For years she dreamed about those butterscotch eyes and the handsome face that they were set in. She knew that she would see the angel doctor named Carlisle Cullen again some day, but she didn't know when. It was just a feeling that she had.

Of course, she doubted that he would recognize her. She was no longer Lizzy Ward, the gangly eight year old that looked like a drown rat, covered in blood and mud that she had been that day long ago.

At seventeen, she was now Miss. Elizabeth Ward, a beautiful girl with emerald green eyes, copper hair, and a ready smile. She had grown up into quite a beauty since that day nine years before when she had gotten lost at the country fair, but more than that, it was her carefree attitude and easy smile that endeared her to almost everyone she met.

Though she still enjoyed fairs, they were a thing of the past now that her nana and gramps had passed on and she was a "young lady," as her mother liked to say. Now her days were filled with more ladylike pursuits such as drawing, painting, playing the piano, and reading. She enjoyed those things, but she missed the freedom that childhood afforded her.

No, there were no fairs, but now that she was out in Chicago society there were tea parties, balls, and dinners. Her parents were not as rich as some, but they had enough money and pedigree to run in the right circles and get invited to the right functions. They took her to these gatherings so she could have a good time, but they never pushed her to attach herself to any of the young men they met.

And, there were plenty of young men that were interested. She was the belle of every ball that she went to and her dance card was always full, but none of the young men who danced with her or fetched her glasses of punch caught her attention, but, just as when she was a child, she was adept at reading people and she could tell that most of the young men who tried to capture her heart were insipid, conceited fools who wanted nothing more than a pretty wife…or something more illicit. She didn't care for any of them, at least not till Edward Masen came along.

She had met him at the Cooper's annual ball, a lavish affair that anybody who was anybody attended. The party had been a crush and there was hardly room to move once you were off the dance floor. Barely able to breath with all the bodies packed into every room, she made her way out onto the balcony and down the steps into the garden.

It had been such a relief to get out of the stifling air inside and though she knew her mother would give her a look of disapproval if she learned of her escape, however brief, she just needed to get away for a moment. She was tired of hearing the young gentlemen tell her how pretty she was, how they would like to come calling, how she should give them a chance.

She really did not try to encourage them, especially since there was no hope. None of them had caught her interest like her angel doctor had…even if she had only been eight years old when she'd seen him the one time.

Walking through the gardens, she gracefully held the embroidered train of her gown up so it wouldn't be ruined by her walk along the gravel path. She had been to the Cooper's before and she had fallen in love with their gardens. They were vast and well designed with well placed statues located throughout.

She walked along to one particular statue she remembered from that day. It was the statue of a man that sat sitting and reading. The cold white marble reminded her of her angel doctor, of Carlisle Cullen.

Standing in front of the statue now that she was alone, she reached out and ran her fingers along the cold figure's cheek, still remembering that Dr. Cullen's flesh had felt very similar to this piece of cold stone.

As she stood there, her fingers caressing the marble, there was a soft voice that broke the silence. "I'm afraid he probably isn't equipped to enjoy that much."

Jumping away from the statue her hand flew to her chest and her eyes widened as she was startled by the rich, male voice that was laced with humor. Trying to gather up her courage despite the pounding of her heart she looked into the shadows and spoke with a voice that probably sounded much bravery than she actually felt. "Who's there?!"

He stepped out of the shadows and the first thing she noticed as he did was his handsome features and crooked smile. Bowing, he let his eyes stay locked with hers. "Sorry if I startled you, ma'am, I'm Edward. Edward Masen."

She didn't speak right away because she had felt the breath go out of her when she saw him in the light. Yes, he was handsome, but there was something else she saw in his eyes that she hadn't seen in that of any of the other young men she had met. His eyes showed her that he had one of the kindest souls she had ever seen…almost as kind and pure as that of her angel doctor.

When she finally did gather her wits enough to speak, she blushed brightly at the fact that she sounded, well, somewhat breathless. "H…hello, Mr. Masen, I'm El…"

He interrupted her, "Elizabeth Ward. I know." He gave her another crooked smile and she couldn't help but smile back as she pondered how he knew her name.


	4. Chapter 4

As if sensing her question, he nodded towards the house. "I saw you dancing with, well, with _everybody_ and I asked."

Blushing a bit at his words, she glanced back towards the Cooper's mansion and listened to the music drifting out before she turned back to him, but before she could say anything he stepped forward as if to shake her hand, instead as his warm fingers closed over hers, he lifted her gloved encased hand to her lips and kissed the back of her hand before he straightened up and winked.

He looked towards the house as he dropped her hand and clasped his hands behind his back as he shifted his weight once from his heels to the balls of his feet and back again. "So, get bored with the crowd?"

She smiled a bit as she wondered if he would actually let her speak this time and she shook her head. "No, just not…interested."

He seemed a bit surprised by that and tilted his head. "Oh?"

She shrugged her shoulders and felt as the cool night's breeze brushed her copper colored curls against her neck. "They're all…the same."

His clear, cheerful, uninhibited laughter filled the air around them as she said that and he was still chuckling as he spoke. "I'm sure your male admirers would be _very_ disappointed to hear that."

Walking over to the statue she had been caressing when he first saw her he casually wrapped his arm around the male figure's shoulders and leaned against him. "So, more interested in him then?"

She blushed and looked around, letting her gaze rest anywhere but on him and the statue. "Why haven't I seen you at any functions before, Mr. Masen?"

He continued to lean against the statue and shrugged, "I've been away at school in Boston."

Her green eyes finally drifted back to him and she tilted her head, "Harvard?"

He nodded and shrugged again. She felt slightly impressed by the fact that he hadn't led off with that. Most of the young men she knew would have shown off the fact that they had attended such a prestigious institution, but he was blowing it off as if it didn't matter.

"What did you study?" she asked. He didn't answer though and she looked through the shadows and realized that he wasn't really paying attention, instead his eyes were closed and he was humming softly to the tune drifting down to the gardens from the house. It was a new piece by Debussy called _Claire de Lune_. She knew it well because it was one of her favorites.

As she listened the sound of the string instruments as the notes wafted through the air and she saw the expression on his face, she forgot her previous question and softly asked, "You like this piece?"

He opened his blue eyes and smiling he nodded as he stepped forward and bowed. "May I have this dance, Miss. Ward?"

For the first time ever, she felt her heart flutter at being asked to dance and unable to find her voice she nodded. She watched as he moved closer to her and she felt the blush on her cheeks grow brighter as he rested his hand on her waist as he took her hand in his and started to waltz to the strains of the music.

She hadn't realized how tall he was till he had taken her into his arms. The man towered a good foot over her! _What was he?_ she wondered, _Six two, six three?_ But, his height only caught her attention for a moment; she was much more interested in how she felt in his arms. Sure that she was as red as the dress she happened to be wearing, she kept her gaze securely fixed on the sapphire pin holding down the cravat that was part of his formal attire.

He couldn't help but smile as he gazed at the thick, copper curls artfully arranged on the top of her chest and then he chuckled and spoke softly. "You weren't afraid to look at your other partners, Miss. Ward."

At his words she finally dared to peek up at him and she couldn't help but smile back at him as she saw his crooked grin. It didn't take her long to realize that his eyes were just as blue as the pin she had been staring at moments before. As their eyes met she felt her heart start to pound in her chest so hard she was sure that he would be able to hear it over the music. She noticed that intensity entered his gaze and he pulled her slightly closer, perhaps a bit closer than propriety dictated, but she didn't mind.

At that moment she decided he was the handsomest man she had ever seen, even more handsome than her long lost angel doctor. She found his sapphire colored eyes, light brown hair, and chiseled features were sheer perfection. Everything about him right down to the slightly messy hair and the crooked smile drew her in like a moth to a flame.

And, he seemed just as smitten with her.

Neither of them noticed that the music had stopped and the musicians were getting ready for their next set as they continued to waltz under the full moon. They seemed content to just move together between the perfectly manicured shrubs and flowers.

What finally broke their trance like state with each other was her mother calling for her from the balcony. Though she knew her mother couldn't see her where she was standing with Edward, she felt she should go to her before her mother came down and found them together. If that happened there would be hell to pay.

She whispered and smiled, "I have to go."

He nodded and hesitated a moment before he leaned in and kissed her cheek and then it was _his_ turn to blush. Smiling she started to scurry off, but after a few steps she turned around and looked over shoulder and both their voices filled the air at the exact same time as they said almost the exact same thing,

"Will you call on me tomorrow…?" "Can I call on you tomorrow?"

He laughed and ran a hand through his tousled hair and just said. "Tomorrow."

She couldn't help but smile brightly at him one more time before she ran off. There was so much promise in that one little word.


	5. Chapter 5

The next day she had been on pins and needles, though she hadn't told her parents _why_. Her Edward was coming to call.

It was strange how it had only taken a few minutes in his presence to start to think of him that way, _her_ Edward.

She'd taken more care than usual dressing that morning and had picked out her prettiest emerald green skirt and light green blouse. Red was her favorite color, always had been, but she knew that green suited her skin tone and set off her emerald green eyes.

She had fidgeted so much through breakfast and afterwards that her mother had asked her if she was all right, her only response had been to check her hair in the mirror above the fireplace one more time.

Would he come or would he forget? Had she imagined the whole incident? Her mother had always said she had an overactive imagination.

At the first knock on the door she had jumped and waited for the maid to get it, but it was only the postman delivering a letter for her father, so she sat and fidgeted some more. She was truly beginning to believe that she really had made up the whole encounter in the gardens when there was another knock at the door.

She couldn't help the bright smile that pulled up the corner of her lips when she heard Edward's rich voice. "Is Miss. Ward home?"

She didn't even wait for the maid to answer him and she was rushing to the foyer, barely noticing her mother's stunned expression. Her daughter never behaved like this and she never, _ever_ gave any of her suitors permission to call on her.

Edward looked more handsome to her than he had the previous night. Today in his light grey frock coat and sapphire blue tie set off his tall, lean figure to perfection, so much so that she didn't notice the bouquet of calla lilies in his hand.

Funny thing was he looked just as thrilled to see her as she obviously was to see him.

The maid giggled since her presence obviously wasn't necessary and she ran off to attend to her other duties.

They just continued to stand there, staring at each other with silly grins on their face, each too taken with the other to realize that her mother had come up behind her. Clearing her throat to get their attention she whispered. "Elizabeth, dear, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend and invite him in?"

Both of them had the good grace to blush and she nodded, and glanced from her mother to Edward. "Won't you please come in, Edward?" As she stepped forward to close the door behind him as she did so, she made the introductions.

"Momma, this is Mr. Edward Masen. Mr. Masen, this is my mother, Mrs. Sarah Ward."

Edward took of his hat and held it in the same hand as the bouquet of flowers and extended his hand to Mrs. Ward. "Pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

Her mother smiled, shook his hand, and gave him a warm smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Edward. Elizabeth, why don't you show Mr. Ward to the sitting room and I'll have Bessie send in some refreshments?"

Her mother walked off in the direction the maid had disappeared and stifled a giggle. Elizabeth and Edward were staring at each other again.

It took her a moment to realize she was just standing there and she flushed. "Please, come in. Have a seat."

She showed him to the living room and sat down with a smile as she whispered, "I was afraid you wouldn't come."

He blinked at that and looked confused, "Why wouldn't I?" Though, the answer seemed to occur to him as soon as the question left his lips and he continued, "I've been waiting around all morning waiting for it to be an appropriate time for me to call. The park across the street is quite lovely."

It was obvious he was nervous. In addition to the blush that tinted his cheeks he was absently hitting the bouquet of flowers against his knee.

She let her gaze wander to the flowers and she tried to hide her smile by worrying her lower lip. He followed her gaze and turned a bright crimson color as he realized what he was doing and he held out the now thoroughly damaged bouquet. "These are for you."

With a soft smile she took the flowers and sniffed at them delicately. "Thank you." She let her eyes linger on the flowers as she whispered, "I was anxious for your visit, too."

She got enough courage to peek up at him at her confession and he grinned brightly at her and chuckled a bit as he made a confession of his own. "I've been at the park since before breakfast."

Before anything else could be said, Bessie, the maid, brought in a tray holding some cookies and lemonade. The young girl smiled at them both and nodded when Elizabeth thanked her.

When the maid was gone she held out the whole plate of cookies to him. "You must be hungry then."

He laughed a bit as he took a cookie and just held it in his hands as he nodded. "Yes, I was too nervous to eat."

Giving him a speculative look she tilted her head as she asked, "Nervous?"

He nodded and smiled softly at her. "I thought I had dreamt our meeting in the gardens last night. After all, I was dancing with an angel.

Blushing she smiled and answered, "I thought it was a dream, too."

He gave her a crooked smile, winked, and started to nibble on the cookie.


	6. Chapter 6

Their courtship had flown by according to standards of the time. After that first visit he had come calling everyday. At first they had simply sat in the parlor staring at each other more often than not, words only necessary part of the time. It wasn't that there were ever any uncomfortable silences; it was just that they were happy enough to simply be with each other.

After both her parents had gotten to know Edward over evening meals and visits with both of them, they didn't mind letting her go to the park across the street with him for late afternoon walks. In fact, they encouraged it. After all, Edward was a nice man and they could already tell that their daughter loved him. That was all that mattered to them.

It was on one of these late afternoon walks in the park that they shared their first kiss. On these walks they had discussed everything, from taste in music and books to their families and future plans. It just seemed to come naturally to both of them that they would be together in that future.

As they walked along, laughing about the jealous looks that one of her former suitors had given them as they walked by him on a path in the park, a gust of wind blew her parasol right out of her hand, sending it tumbling along ahead of them. Before she could even gasp he was running after it for her and she watched as he tripped over a hole hidden by the grass onto which the parasol had moved to.

Lifting her skirts, she ran towards him. "Edward! Edward, are you alright!?"

He just lay there and she didn't think twice about ruining her pristine white dress as she knelt on the grass next to him.

"Edward?!"

He opened one eye, and then the other and just looked at her.

As she rested her hand on his shirt she asked again, "Edward, are you injured?"

He nodded slowly and then gave her a crooked, bashful smile, "My dignity and pride are severely bruised."

She couldn't help but giggle at his words and then, quite unexpectedly, her giggle was cut off as he leaned up and kissed her. It was such a quick kiss that she barely had time to process the fact that he was kissing her before it was over and then he was suddenly kneeling in front of her, his cheek flushed and his voice coming out in an embarrassed stammer. "Elizabeth…g…goodness! I…I'm sorry! I didn't m…mean…! I…."

His stammering was cut off as she smiled and leaned in, kissing him again, but this time the kiss lingered. The kiss probably would have gone on for quite some time if it weren't for the titters and giggles of two young children that were on the nearby path.

Pulling away from the kiss, both their cheeks were flushed and he moved to stand and help her to her feet. He handed her the parasol which had been in his hand the whole time and she lifted it up, but instead of using it to block the sun, she used it to block the view of the children on the path and tiptoed up to kiss him again. It was the kind of kiss she felt all the way down to her toes.

When the kiss broke he gave her that sweet, irresistible, crooked grin, and caressed her cheek gently before he grasped her hand in his and tucked it through his arm as he led her back to the path again.

As they walked along in silence, both their cheeks flushed from the kiss, he spoke in a hesitant voice. "Elizabeth?"

She smiled at him, "Yes, Edward?"

He looked nervous and she immediately wanted to fix whatever it was that was bothering him. "What is it, Edward? Whatever it is, you can tell me."

He smiled down at her and nodded. "I know, Elizabeth, I know I can tell you anything." He took a deep breath and continued, "I was going to speak to your father tonight, and though I know it's not the usual way, well, I wanted to check if that's all right with you first."

She looked confused, "Speak to my father? Well, of course, you speak to him all the time."

He flushed an even deeper shade of red and adjusted the hat he was wearing. "I meant, speak to him to ask permission to...well, to see if it's all right if I ask you to marry me."

She stopped walking, jerking him to a stop as she continued to grasp at his arm. "Marry me?"

He blinked and looked surprised, "Well, I thought…I thought that's what you wanted and technically I'm not asking yet, I won't if you don't want me to!"

She just stood there and stared at him, then she giggled and threw her arms around him, dropping the parasol which tumbled off again and she gasped out, "I love you! I love you so much!"

Smiling he hugged her back. "So I guess it's all right if I have a discussion with your dad then?"

She could only laugh and nod. She had never expected to be engaged and married at seventeen. It was the norm for girls to get married at her age, but she hadn't expected to find anyone that she could really love and spend forever with. Then again, she hadn't expected Edward Masen to come along and make her life perfect.


	7. Chapter 7

Of course, her father had given his consent. Or at least that's what her father told her mother and her mother in turn had told her. Edward didn't mention the meeting on his next two visits and she was beginning to wonder if he had changed his mind about marrying her, but she wasn't about to ask in case that was the case. If he didn't want her anymore, then she wanted to spend as much time with him before he broke the bad news. He'd made it perfectly clear before that he hadn't been asking her to marry him; he'd only been asking permission to speak to her father about the possibility.

A week after he'd spoken to her father he'd asked her on an afternoon ride in his carriage. The ride was rather silent, which really wasn't unusual for the, but every now and then he would look over at her with that crooked grin and a gleam in his eyes that told her he was up to something.

Usually when they went for rides, he stuck to the same streets and never ventured too far from her home, so as he traveled further and further out to unfamiliar territory, she looked slightly confused and asked, "Where are we going?"

In response he'd only winked at her and urged the horses to move a bit faster. Eventually he pulled over to the side of the street in a well-off neighborhood that she didn't know very well and he leaned over and kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear, "Will you do something for me, Elizabeth?"

She nodded without hesitation. "Of course."

He smiled and pulling his large handkerchief out of his pocket he started to secure it around her eyes like a blindfold.

She drew back a bit at first. "What are you doing, Edward?"

He had only laughed and whispered in her ear as he finished securing her blindfold in place. "Trust me."

Of course she trusted him. He was her everything.

She gripped the edge of her seat as she felt the carriage lurch forward again and then her other senses took over, the clip-clop of the horses' hooves, the wheels on the cobblestone, the smell of the different gardens that they passed, and of course Edward's cologne. He always smelled so clean and fresh, like a summer's day.

It was only a few moments before the carriage stopped and he had a smile in his voice as he spoke. "Wait a moment. I'll help."

She heard the carriage springs move under them as he hopped down and then he was lifting her off of her seat. She continued to take in the scents and sounds around her as her other senses were amplified by the fact that she couldn't see. There was a garden gate squealing as it opened, the smell of flowers, and the sound of his footsteps on the ground. But, she didn't concentrate on this for long. No, what was very distracting was the way he held her in his arms, close to his chest. She wanted nothing more than to snuggle closer and bury her face against his neck and kiss him till…

She blushed at the thoughts that went through her mind and tried to distract herself by whispering, "Edward? What's going on?"

He had chuckled and she felt him slowly start to set her down, though she didn't unwind her hands from around his neck and his own hands went immediately to her waist. There was nothing but silence for a few moments and she was about to ask her question again when suddenly he was kissing her softly.

Well, at least the kiss _started_ off softly. It wasn't long before they were each clinging to each other and kissing each other with much more intensity than she had ever experienced. She didn't know if it was the fact that she was blindfolded, but it was like she could feel more than she should. It was like the warmth of his body was passing through the layers of her clothes and the kiss was spreading from her lips to every small inch of skin. His lips were moving against hers in a way that was making her toes curl up in her shoes, her heart pound, and her breath quicken. She didn't want the kiss to ever end, even if it meant she had to stop breathing so it could continue but, unfortunately, the kiss did have to end and when it did, they were both breathless.

What she would have given to be able to see his expression at that moment. She thought about reaching for the blindfold and removing it, but then he leaned forward and she felt his own fast breaths stirring at the soft copper hair near her ear before he whispered. "Elizabeth Ward, will you marry me?"

She hadn't thought it was possible for her heart to start pounding even faster and her breathing stopped all together at his words as she started to tremble in his arms and she held him tighter to her, her body pressed against his—propriety be damned!—and she whispered, "Yes!"

He laughed then, but it wasn't that he was laughing at her; it was just a sound of complete and utter joy. Lifting her off the ground he started to swing her around as she started to giggle and grip at him tighter. After a moment she managed to gasp out, "I love you!"

He stopped turning and there was a smile in his voice again as he whispered. "I love you, too…and now you can have this."

She thought he was going to put a ring on her finger and then take off the blindfold, but instead he removed the blindfold all together and revealed that they were in a garden, a garden that was an exact replica of the Cooper's gardens where they had first danced, right down to the statue of the reading man that she had been admiring that night.

She looked around in awed wonder as he whispered in her ear. "Welcome home."


	8. Chapter 8

Home. She found it such a strange place to consider this grand place home! It wasn't that her parents' home wasn't comfortable and nice, but this was…beyond that.

He let her go and she turned slowly, looking around the gardens and at the back of the house in awe she whispered, "Home?"

When she finally turned back to face him he was down on one knee, holding up a ring delicate between his thumb and forefinger as he spoke with a voice choked with emotion. "Home if you're sure you'll have me." He cleared his throat and mumbled something about asking again and doing this the right way, "Elizabeth Ward, you have become the center of my world, my universe. I love you and hold you more dear than anything. I never thought I could feel this way and I want to be with you forever, will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?"

She looked at the delicate ring in his hands and reaching out she touched his cheek and whispered. "I want nothing more, Edward."

With a crooked grin he reached out and slipped the ring on her finger and then in a flash he was standing up and had her in his arms again as he swung her around in a circle, both their laughter filling the air.

He had shown her the house anxiously, surprised when she noticed some paintings she had liked in particular from some of the art galleries they had visited together hanging on the walls. He admitted that he had only bought a few things, wanting her to pick out things that she liked to fill their home.

As they passed through the mostly empty rooms she was already picturing the life she would lead there with him. She pictured him sitting in the front parlor, reading the paper while she played the piano. Upstairs she imagined the room that would be theirs and which one would be the nursery. She was already blushing brightly at the thought of having his babies.

Yes, this would definitely be home.

The wedding had been the true social event of the season, and though she had wanted a small wedding, but in certain circles of Chicago society there was no such thing. Her parents had a long guest like of friends and family, and his parent's list had been even longer, but in the end she had not cared that the wedding had ended up being such a grand event, all that mattered was that she was going to be Mrs. Edward Masen.

On the day of her wedding she had sat quietly in one of the back rooms of her church in a beautiful wedding dress of made of hand embroidered silk from France with a sheer veil that flowed out behind her. As she waited for her cue to go out and let her father lead her down the aisle she tilted her head and looked at the image in the nearby stained glass window. It was an image of St. Gabriel with his flowing blonde hair and fiery sword. And, for the first time since she'd met Edward she thought about her angel doctor.

How strange. She had once idealized her childhood rescuer as the ideal man, and now her true ideal was waiting just at the other end of this building to be hers forever. He was the true ideal. Her angel doctor, Carlisle Cullen, had been very real, but her love for Edward was greater than anything she had felt before and she knew that her happiness depended on his happiness.

Her angle doctor was real, but he didn't matter anymore. The only thing that mattered to her was her future with Edward. She couldn't wait to start her future with him and knew that she had never wanted anything more in her life than she wanted him, not even her angel doctor…though she still felt a strange sense that her life was somehow intertwined with his, she knew it was in a very different way than she had fantasized. No, the reality waiting to marry her was better than the fantasy she had developed as a child.

At that moment there was a soft knock on the door and her father came in, ready to escort her to her future.

Throughout the ceremony she couldn't keep her eyes off of Edward's handsome face. There was that ever present, crooked smile, the happy gleam in his eyes. He was…perfect. She was so lost in looking at him; she barely had the presence of mind to respond with the right words when prompted by the priest and barely got through her vows.

No, there was no real coherent thought in her head other than he was hers and she was his.

She barely noticed as they were pronounced man and wife, but she did notice when he gave her the first kiss as his wife.

They had forever and everything would be perfect.

At the reception, even when she danced with others out of obligation, her eyes always drifted towards his and whenever they did she found him looking back at her. It was the way that things should be, the bride and groom couldn't keep their eyes off each other, and when they were in each other's arms, it was almost as if they were alone rather than in a room filled with over two-hundred guests.

As they waltzed to Claire de Lune, the song that they had first danced to in the Cooper's gardens, he leaned down and whispered in his ear. "I love you, my Lizzy, now and forever."

She couldn't imagine that life would get any better than this.


	9. Chapter 9

But, life did get better. Everyday it was like a little bit more joy was added to her life and she stopped questioning when it would stop or imagining how it could get better, all she knew is that it just did and when she said grace at the evening meal or said her silent prayer before going to bed, she was truly thankful for everything that she had been given.

Her days were filled setting up her new home while Edward worked, her evenings with spending time with him, just basking in the glory of his company while he did the same with her, and then there were the nights.

She never imagined that physical intimacy could take their relationship to another level, but it certainly did and it was all they could do to keep their hands off each other and not retire early to bed every evening.

Unlike other couples in their social set, Elizabeth and Edward weren't just suffering from infatuation when they married, they were truly in love, and it showed. No one could ever doubt the way that they felt about each other when they saw them smiling at one another, or just saw the way they glanced at each other from across crowded rooms when they were at various social functions. Both of them were happier than they had ever been and they both felt blessed.

It didn't come as a surprise to anyone when Elizabeth discovered she was pregnant just a few short months after the wedding. At first she simply thought she had caught a stomach flu that had been going around, but when she started to have dizzy spells it was Edward that insisted she see a physician.

He had rushed home the day of her appointment. She had insisted that he go to work despite the fact that he wanted to go to the doctor's office with her. When he walked in he found her sitting upstairs in one of the empty rooms that she hadn't gotten around to decorating yet.

The worry that he felt was in the tone of his voice as he saw her standing there, her back to the door. "Lizzy?"

Turning to face him she smiled softly and without a word she had gone up to embrace him, pulling him into the kind of kiss that was usually reserved for a time when the maids had gone to bed. Of course he returned the kiss in kind, but when he pulled away the anxiety he felt was still etched clearly on his face.

"Lizzy, what did the doctor say?"

Instead of answering she gave him a secretive smile that showed she was hiding something and she moved from his arms and walked to the center of the room. Her silence only served to agitate him more.

"Lizzy?!"

She walked to the far corner of the room and stood about four feet away from it and spread out her arms as she finally spoke, her voice trembling with emotion. "I think that the crib would look good right here."

Now, Edward Masen was a smart man, no one ever doubted that, but at that moment perhaps it was his concern that clouded his ability to think clearly and realize what it was that his beautiful wife was trying to tell him. "Well, of course, if that's what you'd like. Someday when we have a ba…"

It was when he almost said the word "baby" that the clues finally fell into place and he stood stunned, his sapphire blue eyes wide for a moment. "Baby. Baby? Baby! We're going to have a _baby_?!"

As she turned to look at him, she couldn't help but giggle at the fact that he had said the word "baby" with four different tones and inflections in such a short span of time. She was grinning so much and couldn't stop so her only response was to nod at his words.

Before she knew it he had taken her up in his arms and was twirling and jumping about the empty room with her, laughing happily. Then she was a bit startled when he suddenly set her down, the happiness there in his eyes, but worry etched in his features again. "Oh! Sorry! I shouldn't be jostling you about." He bent over and patted her still flat stomach and whispered, "Sorry, sorry!" As if their son or daughter could feel what was going on or understand what he was saying.

Even as she laughed and whispered, "I don't think your jostling me about is going to hurt the baby, love." He could only grin sheepishly, but didn't straighten up and just stayed bent over for a moment, staring at her stomach as if he expected the baby to grown right before his eyes.

After a moment he kneeled in front of her and both his hands rested gently against her stomach and then he moved his arms around her waist, nuzzled her stomach a bit and kissed it before he rested his cheek against it. He was like that as his voice, choked with emotion, whispered, "Thank you."

She felt a bit choked up herself and ran her fingers through his hair and just held him there and whispered. "No, Edward. Thank you."

Yes, life got better everyday and just when she thought she'd reached a pinnacle, there was more perfection to be found ahead.


	10. Chapter 10

Edward really was rather adorable throughout the whole pregnancy. He hesitated about leaving for work in the morning and rushed home earlier than usual as if he were afraid that he would miss something. More than once she would catch him staring intently at her stomach, as if he expected it to grow before his eyes.

At night, when they were alone and she was out of her corset, which although designed for pregnancy, still hid the changes of her body, he would always be thrilled when examining the ever growing bump, making a big to-do about the subtlest changes that she had barely noticed herself.

Yes, Edward was excited about becoming a dad and involved himself in getting prepared for their baby to come along more than most men of their social circle did. He wanted to know what was going on to prepare the nursery and he wouldn't gently scold Elizabeth if she carried anything that was heavier than a cup of tea. She was pretty sure he would have spoon fed her if she let him.

A lot of women would have been annoyed, but she found his behavior endearing. And, though he never said it, she was quite sure that he was wishing for a baby boy. Once when he thought he was asleep she heard him whispering to "baby Edward" and she let him have his privacy and continued to doze.

Almost everyday he brought her little gifts despite her protests. Her once bare jewelry box was now filled with countless baubles, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, jeweled combs and hair pins, all sorts of things. She kept insisting it was too much, but he didn't seem to care. He kept telling her that she'd given him the most wonderful gift ever, her, and she was giving him another wonderful gift, their baby.

When she went into labor in mid-spring Edward rushed home to be with her, or at least be in the house since he wasn't permitted in the actual birthing room. The birth was far from easy and it lasted several hours. In that time, through the haze of pain she began to worry, and the panic that Edward felt was obvious from the way he alternated between pacing and sitting with his head in his hands in a posture of torment.

It was the first time fear had touched their perfect little world.

When Edward Anthony Masen finally entered the world both his parents were relieved and happy. As the small family of three cuddled in bed moments after the birth, all but the baby exhausted from the hours that had passed trying to bring him into the world, they weren't even that bothered by the news from the doctor stating that she most likely wouldn't be able to bare anymore children.

At that moment all they cared about was the fact that they had a perfect, beautiful baby boy. He had his father's facial features, but his mother's coloring which was apparent in his emerald green eyes and the surprisingly thick head of copper hair.

No, the news that their family wouldn't be bigger than the three of them wasn't enough to detract from the moment.

When baby Edward finally fell asleep in her arms as her husband held her in their bed, she finally had the presence of mind after a long time of staring at their son in silence to whisper, "He's perfect, isn't he?"

Edward Sr. had known that she wasn't looking for confirmation, but he readily agreed as he kissed the top of her head. "Yes. Yes, he is."

A moment later he seemed to remember something and reaching into his pocket he pulled out a five-caret, heart shaped diamond hanging on a delicate-looking, but sturdy chain and he put it around her neck as he kissed her shoulder.

She managed to drag her eyes away from their son for a moment to see what he had put on her and she gasped and whispered, "Edward, what's this?"

There were tears in his voice as he squeezed her gently and whispered, "It's nothing compared to what you've given me. Thank you, Lizzy. Thank you for making me the luckiest man alive."

As exhausted as she was, she could hear the worry in his voice and saw that he had been scared by what she had been through. Turning her head to the side, she nuzzled his neck a bit and whispered softly, "It's all right now, love. Both little Edward and I are all right."

As if to emphasize this point the baby yawned and smacked his lips together as if he were hungry, opening his eyes to stare at his mother with a pout.

Both of them let out a soft laugh at little Edward's expression and her voice was soft and teasing when she spoke, "He looks just like you when you're hungry."

Edward only chuckled and kissed her temple, his voice hesitant when he finally spoke, "Lizzy, do you mind if I stay in the room when you feed him? Of course, if you'd prefer privacy…"

She blinked and whispered, "Edward, of course I don't mind."

He seemed happy and relieved when he kissed her softly. She knew that he took her acceptance as a sign that she wouldn't shut him out of any part of their family life, and of course she didn't want to, no matter what society considered propitious.

No, she loved her family and both Edward and their son were now the center of her universe.


	11. Chapter 11

As each day passed she became more and more grateful for the life that she had. Both her Edwards were the center of her world. Little Edward was bright and outgoing like his father and kind and perceptive like his mother.

Though he had his mother's coloring with his copper locks and peaches and cream complexion, he had his father's looks, right down to the crooked smile that always seemed to be turning up one corner of his lips.

It was also fair to say that he had was just as spoiled as his own mother had been growing up, but despite the fact that both his parents as well as both sets of grandparents got him whatever he wanted and more, he did not act spoiled.

Elizabeth's day was filled with love and laughter as she watched her son grow. When he began to crawl she clapped and cheered as if he were an Olympian. Then, when he started to walk she was quite sure that there was no baby on the planet that was more brilliant.

Her favorite times were always watching him from the back patio as he played. When he was three his favorite toy was his "Bwack 'orsey" as he called the wooden horse on wheels that his father had made for him. When he was eight it was the hoop that he would run after, hitting with a stick. Then when he was older his father would play baseball with him while she watched. In general, any game that had him running from the time he was old enough to walk was good enough for him. At times she would even throw aside convention and hike up her skirts to run with him, chasing him as they played tag or other games. She loved him to pieces.

Although he was close to both his parents, he had a special bond with his mother. He seemed especially sensitive to the needs and desires of those around him, almost as if he could read their minds but, in her case he met those needs and wants without thinking and she did the same for him in return.

The first time she noticed this was when he was barely old enough to crawl. She didn't realize that the clasp on the necklace on her diamond heart pendent had broken. It was a piece she wore everyday since her husband had put it on her the day of little Edward's birth. She had been in the sitting room when she realized it was gone and had immediately gone into a panic.

After looking around her on the sofa, on the floor, even under the furniture, all the while keeping an eye on little Edward as he crawled around nearby, she was about to call the game to come help when she turned because the baby was sitting near her. In his hand was her necklace, which he was holding out to her as he giggled and smiled.

For some reason this incident didn't surprise her, nor did other similar incidences. It was the norm between them and the bond had only gotten stronger over time. In fact it was so strong that when he started attending school she already knew if he had had a good day or bad day before he told her and he could tell the same about her.

On the weekends she let him have his time with his father. They had their own activities that they liked to do together and she gave them their space as they went fishing, went to the races and baseball games, or went to see the neighbor's new car. She had chuckled and let them indulge in their fascination with this new invention and had only smiled when they actually brought a Model T Ford home on little Edward's ninth birthday. Though it was supposedly only for weekend excursions and was supposed to be her husband's vehicle, her son was the one that polished the panels and leather seats and studied the engine as much as he could.

Although she had told Edward Sr. not to, she knew that Edward had been driving the car when she wasn't out with them for a ride, but she turned a blind eye knowing that it made them both happy. How could she say anything when they both came back covered in dust, smiling the same crooked smile?

She had nothing to complain about really. Her husband rushed home to be with his family when he got off of work and they loved each other more than they had when they first met, though neither of them thought it was possible. Her son never really gave her any problems either. He was a bright, happy boy whose main vice was sneaking sweets out of the kitchen when he thought she wasn't looking.

In all, she didn't believe that there was anything that could intrude on her perfect little world. After all, if God in his good grace had seen to it that she would be this blessed, why would that change?

No, she knew that she was lucky and didn't believe that the outside world would change that. So, when little Edward was thirteen and he and his father were discussing what they had read in the paper as they did ever night after supper, she paid no mind the news that some royal, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, had been assassinated. It was sad, of course, but it had nothing to do with her little family and the life that they led.

Every night her Edwards, as she tended to think of them, talked about some kingdom or government allying with some others, but she paid little attention as she played cards with them, read, or played at her piano. It had nothing to do with her and her Edwards as people fought across the Atlantic. She wasn't even too concerned by the fascination that she sensed from her son when the discussions continued nightly. Her family was safe here in Chicago and the battles that took place in lands she had only read about in her social studies books had nothing to do with them.

They were safe.


	12. Chapter 12

But, the Great War that was taking place across the Atlantic began to penetrate her happy world more and more. She barely paid attention when her Edwards talked about the war overseas. Worry didn't come into play until the night she was at her piano, playing out an old tune, when fourteen year old Edward came running into the house from being out with his friends, waving the evening paper about.

He knew the latest headline of what was going on overseas was of more interest to his father so he went directly to show him even as she continued to move her fingers along the ebony and ivory keys. It was the anger in her husband's voice and the excitement in her son's that finally caught her attention.

Apparently a German U-boat had sunk a British liner called the _Lusitania_ and 1,198 civilian souls had perished. Close to one hundred children had died and that along with the fact that Americans had been on board meant that the war seemed much closer than it had before. After all, the attack had been unprovoked.

Her husband was angered by President Wilson's policy of isolationism and their son hung on his every word as he went on and on about how they couldn't stay out of the war now that the German's had crossed this line. She knew that her son was not only in agreement, but it was almost as if she could see him imagining himself as a soldier, gloriously marching off into battle.

As she got this image in her mind she closed the cover to her piano and left them alone I the parlor.

At the dinner table that night she said grace like she usually did, but she added a prayer for the people lost on the _Lusitania_ and that God would bring peace to those who needed it. It was the first time she mentioned the Great War when saying grace, and she mentioned it every night thereafter.

That night she and her husband fought. Heated discussions were a rare thing between them, but when she requested that he not encourage their son about this war he had argued that Edward was growing up.

"He's almost a man, Lizzy! You can't coddle him forever!"

She watched him from where she sat at the foot of their bed, as he got ready to turn in for the night. "There is a big difference between coddling him and encouraging him to fantasize about the glory of war!"

She was shocked by his response. As he angrily yanked off his tie he replied, "Glory in war for a noble cause is no fantasy, Elizabeth. I would be proud if Edward because the kind of man who stood up for what is right rather than hiding behind his mother's skirts!"

After that she knew that there was no way that she would be able to sway him on the subject. So, he continued his nightly discussions about the war and the possibility of the United States entering the conflict, and she continued to pray for peace at the dinner table and every night when she went to bed.

Edward sensed the underlying tension between his parents and she knew he was trying to keep the peace between them by waiting till she was otherwise occupied before discussing things with his father, but she always new what he wanted and he wanted a soldier's glory.

When it was apparent that it wasn't a question of if the country would enter the war, but when she decided to have a talk with her son herself.

One weekend shortly before his seventeenth birthday when Edward Sr. was away on some business excursion with some of his partners, she asked Edward to take her for a drive. He didn't seem surprised by the request, but did look a bit weary, as if he already knew what was coming.

It was impossible to talk over he noise of the engine so she didn't say anything till they arrived at their destination, an old field with a winding stream nearby where they used to have picnics when he had been a child.

It took her a while to break the silence. "Your birthday is coming up."

He had only nodded in response as he walked with his hands in the pockets of his trousers.

She sighed and continued softly, "I know what your plans are, when you turn eighteen and though it's sometime off, well, you know I worry."

He had only nodded in response, not able to look at her and had only stopped walking when she reached out and rested her hand on his arm. "Edward, why this? Don't you want other things from life? Don't you want to find someone to spend forever with, to love and to have a family with?"

He had lifted his eyes up towards the sky, keeping them there for a while. She knew this habit; his father did the same thing when he was trying to hide his emotions.

When he spoke he let out a sigh and looked down at her with a bit of a smile curling up the corners of his lips, "Mom, of course I want those things. I want to find what dad found when he found you, but I just haven't even come close to wanting anyone as much as I know dad wants you and…after living with the two of you who can blame me for not settling? I'd wait forever, for centuries before settling on just anyone." He tucked her arm through his and continued walking with her. "As for what I what I want to do, it's the right thing. What the German's are doing, well, mom it isn't right. If we don't stop them they'll continue to become bigger and bigger tyrants till they're overrunning our own borders. We can't let that happen."

She stayed silent as he spoke and for some time afterwards. He was spouting what his father had told him and what he read in the anti-isolationist literature that he had started to bring home. For the first time she knew that her son wasn't going to placate her and follow her wishes. She didn't want to lose her son.

As if sensing her thoughts Edward stopped and hugged her. She didn't realize until that moment how big he'd gotten, but he now towered over her. He was no longer a little boy. After a while he kissed the top her head and said gently, "Don't worry, mommy, I'm going to live forever."

She let out a sad, shaky laugh at his words and whispered back, "The young always think that way." But, oh!, how she wished that were true.


	13. Chapter 13

Her son's birthday came quickly. In all, it had been a happy day. Perhaps more for her benefit than his neither he nor his father had brought up the war. He had had a few friends over, boys from his school that he socialized with and she had had a grand dinner made with a giant strawberry cake, his favorite.

For his birthday she gave him the pocket watch that had belonged to her grandfather and Edward Sr. had surprised him by getting him an updated version of the Model T Ford. They both had discussed it and knew it was a bit extravagant, but Edward was their only child and he was only going to turn seventeen once. Besides, they considered him a responsible young man and he had proved his ability to take care of his father's car.

Edward had actually blushed a bit when his friends teased him that his family had to be the only one in the U.S. that owned more than one car, but even as they roughhoused a bit and laughed, they could tell that their son was happy by the crooked smile that was on his face.

Despite the fact that he had a curfew and it was a school night, she and her husband had let him go off with his friends for a ride. Of course there weren't enough riding coats and goggles to go around, but if the boys without them decided to get dusty that was their choice.

After Edward and his friends had left she had stood at the parlor window, watching the empty street where the car had been sitting just moments ago. As she stood there Edward Sr. came up to her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and had pulled her close as he kissed the nape of her neck.

Resting her hands on his arms she smiled. "He's happy."

Her husband had only chuckled a bit in response and resting his chin on the top of her head he simply answered by saying, "Yes."

Despite their disagreement about their son's future as a soldier, it was apparent that they were still very much in love. In fact, when they weren't talking about the war they were happier than they had ever been.

As he leaned down to kiss the side of her neck again she whispered, "Was the car too much?"

He only laughed a bit huskily and whispered, "Yes, but that's all right." Then he was kissing her neck again and she had to giggle.

"Edward! We should get away from the front windows before we shock the neighbors!"

At those words he had laughed, "Oh, they already gossip about us enough," but instead of keeping her there he had swept her up into his arms and had made a beeline for their bedroom.

A peel of laughter filled the house as she cried out, "Edward!"

He had kissed her before she could say anything else and had smiled his crooked smile, "Shush, the boys will be gone for a while. You really don't think the car was only for _his_ benefit! I have to get the boy out of the house somehow!"

Her laughter at his words had been cut off as he kissed her again and he used his foot to slam their bedroom door shut.

Later that evening, long after her husband had fallen asleep, she had made her way down to the back patio and had just sat on one of the wicker chairs there, looking at the stars. It was fascinating to see them twinkling like diamonds against the black velvet sky. The stars were actually becoming a rare site in Chicago with the factories being built up in the city the smog usually shut them out.

As she sat there, her finger absently went to the diamond heart that she always wore around her neck. It was hard for her to believe that it had been seventeen years since her husband had given it to her, and therefore seventeen years since her son had been born. Her life had changed so much in those seventeen years and her son had become another sun that had only served to make her life brighter.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard a sound behind her and she jumped, startled.

Her son's voice reached out through the darkness, "It's only me, mother."

She shifted and looked over her shoulder, her voice holding a bit of censure, "Don't tell me you're only getting home, young man. You know that you h…"

He came into her line of sight and she saw that he was wearing his robe over his pajamas, so she stopped midsentence as he gave her a crooked smile and sat next to her.

"No, just couldn't sleep."

She nodded and settled back in her chair and looked up at the stars once again as he did the same.

They sat like that for some time in silence and it was finally his voice that broke through the darkness. "Mother, what does my future hold?"

She smiled a bit and answered, teasing him, "I thought you were going to live forever." Glancing his way, she saw the frown that was turning down the corner of his lips and she reached out and rested her hand on his. Her voice turning reassuring and soft, "Edward, I am not fortune teller. I cannot tell you what the future holds. I know you will be happy though. You have grown up to be a good man with a good heart and soul and I know that God only rewards people as wonderful as you and you, my son, are the most wonderful person I know."

Instead of finding her words reassuring he frowned even more and muttered, "You have too much faith in me."

She had only smiled at his words, "Of course I do. I am your mother, but that doesn't mean that I'm not speaking the truth."

He nodded and managed a bit of a smile then, "Will I be as happy as you and my father are?"

She had laughed at his words and remembering her tryst with her husband just a few short hours before she blushed, thankful for the darkness that hid the reddening of her cheeks for her son. "Yes, Edward. I know that somewhere out there there's a beautiful young woman who's waiting for you to give her heart away. She's holding onto it as securely as you've been holding on to yours. She'll be beautiful, brilliant, and wonderful because you are."

He had grinned at her words and then he'd leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Thank you." With that he hopped up to go back inside and she looked after him. "Happy birthday, sweetling. I love you."

He grinned and winked, "Love you, too."

She called out, "And no more cake tonight!" In response she only heard his mischievous giggle.

She chuckled, watched him go, and watched the stars for a moment longer, saying a silent prayer for God to grant her son the type of happy life he deserved, and with that she went back to bed.


	14. Chapter 14

For the next few months after her son's birthday life went on as usual. She left the room when he and his father wanted to discuss the war, but there was other news in the papers that did have her attention.

The news of an outbreak of flu was now vying for headlines from the warfront and _that _was something she paid attention to that both her Edwards ignored. While she worried and became concerned over articles detailing how whole cities and towns were being brought down by the illness, her husband and son found the news about trenches and battles much more interesting.

But, she became more and more uneasy as if she knew that something was going to happen.

When news came of the first cases of Spanish Influenza at The Great Lakes Navel Training Station located a mere thirty-two miles from the city two months after Edward turned seventeen, both he and his father paid a bit more attention to what was said about the spread of the illness in the papers. He did not question her when she told him and Edward Sr. to come directly home from school and work.

When the papers began to publish daily reports on the status of the flu outbreak she began to grow more and more nervous. The illness was just so quick! One moment people were fine and in the next they were lying, dying in hospitals or at home.

She poured over the literature, doing everything that John Dill Robertson, the Commissioner of Health, published on the subject. Although both her Edwards were wary of all the things she had them do in response, they didn't argue. They were fighting a war and she was the general of their household. The battle was against Spanish Influenza.

Though she had thought their owning two cars was an extravagance, now she was grateful that they didn't have to rely on slow carriages or, even worse, public transportation. She didn't care if they thought they looked silly when she asked them tow wear masks that covered the lower half of their faces. What she didn't know was that they were humoring her and removing them when they were a certain distance from the house.

When her husband felt fatigued, she was worried, but tried to think nothing of it. He _had_ been working hard at the office. She didn't rest that night since he seemed restless and kept tossing and turning in their bed. By morning when he started coughing she ran to her son's room, for the first time forgetting about propriety, not putting on a robe or bothering to knock.

Seeing the panic on her face, Edward was immediately out of bed. "We're going to the hospital. Your father is ill." She didn't give him a chance to answer as she rushed out of the room again to go check on her husband. She didn't notice that he seemed a bit tired himself, as if he too had had a restless night.

As the drove in the hospital Edward Sr. didn't even bother to argue that it was nothing, though he did argue that he didn't want help getting into the back seat of the car ad he didn't want her to sit with him.

Elizabeth ignored him and stayed with him in the backseat, her attention focused on him as their son drove them to the hospital.

Once there they saw just how bad things really were. Rooms were full of patients at various stages of the illness. The cases that were less serious and still at the early stages were kept in the halls and the areas that were once for visitors and rest areas for the staff such as the cafeteria.

As she and her son supported her husband one of the nurses took pity on the family and put them in one of the smaller doctor's offices where there was a cot set up. After Edward Sr. was lain in it, she asked what could be done and they were simply told that the doctor would be with them as soon as he could.

Her husband tried to give her a reassuring smile, but then he started coughing and there was no reassurance in that. She turned to her son, looking for reassurance there, but instead she finally noticed that he had dark circles under his eyes and looked exhausted. Her attention was finally torn away from Edward Sr. and she whispered, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.

"Edward, son, are you ill."

That moment of hesitation in his eyes before he whispered, "I am just tired," was all she needed and when the nurse came in she asked for another cot. Again he protested that he was fine, but when some aides brought another cot in he simply said that he would just lie down for a moment.

Both her Edwards were ill.

Her life was coming apart at the seams. They had to get better. They would get better.

Wouldn't they?

She watched her son sleeping, though his breathing seemed a bit more labored than it should and it was obvious that it wasn't a peaceful sleep as he moved about on the cot. Her husband was no longer even trying to sleep and as he lay there coughing she sat by his side, trying to make him comfortable, running a damp, warm cloth along his skin as he labored for breath.

He barely had the breath to speak as he whispered, "L…Lizzy…"

"Shhh, it's all right, love, just rest." She tried to make her voice sound reassuring, but the trembling tenor gave away her fear. "Everything will be all right."

He did not seem reassured by her words though, and he whispered, "E…Edward?"

She ran her fingertips gently through his hair and looked over her shoulder where her son was beginning his own struggle with the illness she had been dreading for so long. "He's resting. He's…just tired."

The shallow breaths he took seemed to rattle in his chest and he closed his eyes, nodding slowly. Watching him she tried to keep the fear that threatened to take over by whispering to him softly, "Do…do you remember our dance in the garden?" His answering, weak smile was all she needed as a form of encouragement and she continued. "I was sure that you were a dream. You were so handsome, so dashing in your formal clothes, but our little encounter wasn't so formal…dancing in the garden. My mother would have been scandalized. She would have made you marry me right then and there."

He tried to laugh in response to that, but it quickly turned into a cough that sent his whole body into spasms. She could do nothing more than hold onto his hand till the coughing stopped and then, without realizing that tears were spilling down her face, she continued.

"Not that I would have minded. I already knew. I knew the moment I saw you that you were the love of my life, that we would be married. I just couldn't imagine at the time that every day, every moment with you, would make me more and more happy. You've made me the happiest woman alive, love."


	15. Chapter 15

She had tended to both her husband and son, only able to ignore her exhaustion because of her fear.

The state of the city was such that throughout that first day only a nurse or an orderly peeked in on the family in the small office. It wasn't till the middle of the night that a doctor came in to check on them.

When she first heard the door open she lifted her head from the edge of her husband's cot and looked tiredly towards the person that had come in. If she weren't so tired and so scared, she might have been shocked. As it was, she thought she was dreaming for a moment when she saw the pale features, blond hair, and butterscotch eyes.

She hadn't dreamed of her angel doctor in years, yet here he was. Was he here only in her imagination, a specter from her past that had saved her once that she was conjuring up to save her again? He had been there during the most frightening incident of her childhood, now she was in a situation that was more frightening than anything she could imagine. She was in a living hell.

Her voice drifted through the dimmed lamp light in the room, exhaustion making it no more than a mere whisper. "Dr. Cullen?"

He did not seem surprised that she knew his name, though he did not recognize her. He was sure that the nurses and orderlies had mentioned him.

She watched as he looked at the clipboard in his hands. "Yes, Mrs. Masen, I'm Dr. Carlisle Cullen." When he heard her sigh of relief he figured that it was due to the fact that a physician had finally come to check on her family. He gave her a kind smile and walked up to check on the elder Edward first. He could tell by the smells and sounds that this man didn't have long to live.

As Carlisle knelt next to the cot and began to examine Edward Sr. Elizabeth watched closely. When she spoke there was infinite sadness in her voice, but she kept it sure and steady. "How long?" she asked.

Yes, she already knew that there was no hope for her husband.

Carlisle looked at her with eyes that seemed to hold an old, endless sadness and he whispered softly, "Not long."

She nodded and even as she squeezed her husband's hand she turned to look over at her son whose breathing had grown more and more labored over time. Looking back at Carlisle she took a long deep breath and asked softly, "Will you please check my son, Dr. Cullen?"

He nodded and gave her a soft smile. "Of course, Mrs. Masen." Leaning down she kissed Edward Sr.'s forehead before she turned her attention to their son. She knew that her baby was not as bad as his father, at least not yet.

Reaching out she took her son's hand and at feeling her fingers curling around his he opened his eyes and gave her a weak, crooked smile. With her free hand she smoothed back his hair and smiled back to him. "Hello, sweetling. You should be resting."

She glanced away from him to Carlisle who finally spoke. "Yes, he should be resting." Done with his examination she saw as he motioned that he would like to speak to her in the hallway and she leaned down and kissed her son's cheek, whispering in his ear, "I'll be right back. Rest." She kissed his cheek again. Rules about avoiding influenza didn't matter now.

He smiled softly and closed his eyes again.

Outside in the hallway outside the small office she looked tiredly at Carlisle and spoke before he got the opportunity to do so. "My son is not as bad as my husband. He…has a chance."

Carlisle seemed hesitant, as if not wanting to give her false hope. "There is a chance, if he gets better before he gets worse. Yes."

She nodded and smiled a bit. "That's all I needed to know."

Before she could go back in though he reached out and rested his hand on her arm and spoke softly, "I am also concerned about your health, Mrs. Masen. You have not rested and you are susceptible to the illness as well."

Patting his hand she smiled a bit. "I'll be fine, Carlisle. Thank you for being here again."

His brow drew together and he wondered as he seemed to wonder at her words, but he chalked them up to her exhausted state and simply said, "Please, try to rest."

She nodded and walked back into the room and saw that her son had fallen into a restless sleep again. Going to her husband's side she saw that his eyes were open and wandering around the room restlessly. Hurrying to his side she took his hand and caressed his cheek as she murmured softly in his ear, "Shhh…shhh, my heart. I'm here." But, he didn't seem to hear her.

Her voice, her touch, didn't seem to soothe him like it had before and she began to divide her time between tending to both her Edwards, unconsciously paying more attention to her son. It made sense. With him there was still hope.

God would not send her angel back to her if he didn't intend for them to be some silver lining to the storm cloud that blocked the sun out of her life.

Sometime near dawn the next morning, as she was bathing her son she heard her husband go very still behind her. Turning to look over her shoulder she felt her heart go still in her chest as she saw him just staring up at the ceiling, his chest trembling rather than rising and falling with labored breaths like it had been moments ago.

Rushing to his side, stumbling and falling over till she was kneeling next to him, she grasped at his shoulders. "Edward! Edward! I'm not ready!" She pulled him up into an embrace, clutching him close as his body remained limp against hers and he struggled for breath. She sobbed out, "Please. Please! I'm not ready to let you go!"

His eyes had already started to glaze over as he used the last bit of air left in his drowning lungs to whisper so softly that her choking sobs threatened to drown them out. "I'm s…sorry. I l…love you."

The light died in his eyes then and he went completely still, becoming a dead weight in her arms.

Knowing he was gone, but unable to accept it, she placed kisses all over his face, her lips lingering on his and she whispered. "I love you. Stay. You promised me forever."


	16. Chapter 16

**Well, for those of you that have been reading, this story is nearly at an end. I say that there's mostly likely going to be one more installment that will bring the story to a conclusion. Unfortunately, it seems that I've lost readership. If you have kept up but haven't commented, please do so or I might withhold the last chapter! (j/k…though you should comment)****If you like this story please read my other FanFic entitled Marcus & Didyme. I will also be adding another FanFic though I'm vacillating about which idea I'm going to do, but I have several in mind. If you'd like to know what the different ideas I'm tossing around are, just send me a PM and perhaps you can help me decide.****Thanks again,****  
****Damsell**

* * *

She only allowed herself a moment of pain, which was quickly followed by numbness, once they took Edward's body away. The only personal effect that he had had on him of any value had been his wedding ring and one of the nurses tried to be helpful by removing it and placing it in her hand.

She looked at the simple gold band and allowed the grief to pour over her as she curled her fingers around it. To her knowledge he had never removed it since the day she had slipped it onto his finger. It was so strange to her that the metal was still warm while her husband grew cold in the morgue somewhere on the lowest floor of the hospital.

When her son began to cough from his cot she quickly slipped the ring into her pocket and pushing aside her own fatigue and sadness she began to comfort and care for him. Once she began to run a damp cloth along his fevered skin he opened his eyes and spoke in a weak, raspy voice.

"Mother?"

Looking up she somehow managed to smile for him and reaching up she gently brushed his hair away from his forehead as she whispered. "It's all right, sweetling. Rest."

He closed his eyes and took a few more raspy breaths before he found the strength to speak again. "F…father?"

She squeezed his hand and had to swallow down the lump in her throat before she spoke again. "He's resting."

What was the point of telling the boy that his father was gone? It wasn't as if she were lying exactly. Edward Sr. _was_ truly at rest now and her son was too sick to even turn his head and notice that the nearby cot was empty.

As she leaned down to kiss his cheek she whispered in his ear. "I love you, my son."

When Carlisle looked in on them again he found her humming a lullaby to Edward as she gently smoothed back his hair.

Edward was already ill enough that he probably didn't realize what was going on around him, but Carlisle could clearly see by the way that Elizabeth's eyes were bright and feverish and the way that her cheeks were flushed, that she was ill as well.

Walking up behind her Carlisle spoke softly, trying not to startle her since she didn't seem to notice his entrance. "Mrs. Masen?"

She turned slowly and she couldn't help the small smile the tugged up the corner of her lips. Her angel doctor was here. He would make sure that Edward was all right.

As he crouched down near the chair where he was sitting he whispered softly. "I heard about Mr. Masen, I am truly sorry for your loss." As with other patients, he assumed that Mr. Masen had never regained consciousness, so he didn't ask anything in regards to his finally moments. As it was he doubted that her son would ever wake up again.

Taking a deep unsteady breath that seemed to rattle in her chest, she nodded and blinked back tears. When she finally spoke her breath held not only held exhaustion, there was the underlying sound of the illness that was threatening to take over. "Will you please check on my son?"

He nodded. "Of course, Mrs. Masen, but you also need your rest."

Clutching at Edward's hand she looked up at him, her emerald eyes pleading. "Please, Carlisle. Please."

Nodding he moved to the other side of the cot and began his examination. He already knew that there was no hope for the boy with a face that was kind like both his parents' were…had been.

He looked up at Elizabeth even as he wondered what he was going to say since there seemed to be little to no hope that the boy would recover but, before he could say anything she was covering her mouth, trying to stifle a coughing fit that was making her whole body tremble.

Going to her side, perhaps a bit faster than he should of to keep up human pretenses, he held her up as the fit passed. His own musical voice had taken on a pleading tone as he spoke. "Please, Mrs. Masen, you must rest." When she shook her head even as she tried to catch her breath, a task which seemed impossible, he tried to compromise. "What if I move the cot near your son's so you can be close?"

She seemed to consider a moment, and as she debated his offer he continued, "It will do him no good if you become too ill to care for him."

Sighing at that she finally conceded with a nod.

He helped her to lie down and as he did she grasped at the arm of his coat. "Please, please don't worry about me. He's all that matters now."

He nodded and simply said, "I'll do what I can." Though already he knew that wasn't much. "Rest now."

She took a deep, shuddering breath and barely managed to get out. "You'll come back." It wasn't a question. It wasn't a plea. It was almost as if she were demanding it of him, which went against her nature, but she needed him to help her baby.

He nodded and smiled gently to her. "I'll be back after I look in on some of the others."

Seemingly satisfied with that she reached out and held Edward's hand and closed her eyes.

As he walked to the door and looked over his shoulder at the figure of mother and son, he felt a longing for family that had plagued him for centuries. It was apparent that the love that this mortal woman had for her family, for her son, was something that he had yet to experience and he couldn't help but wonder if his mother would have had the same love for him if he had not died in childbirth. He also wondered if he would ever love anyone as much as Elizabeth had loved her husband and loved her son.


	17. Chapter 17

**Well, this is it, the last of the story…kind of. **

**Elizabeth Masen passes on in this chapter, but that is not necessarily the end of this story. Many of you have given me some great ideas on how it could continue and though I have taken them into consideration the title suggests that this is about Elizabeth's life and death.**

**That being said, I will be adding an epilogue that will answer many of the lingering questions that many of you seem to have. I will try to post it in the next couple of days.**

**I hope that you have enjoyed the story so far. Please leave comments! I also am narrowing down the different ideas for another fanfic. In the meantime, please feel free to read and comment on my other story, **_**Marcus and Didyme**_**, which is far from close to being over!**

**Thanks again!**

**Damsell**

The next day Edward did not wake up, and in her effort to reach him Elizabeth had actually thrown herself from the cot in which she had been placed and dragged herself to his side.

The nurses found her leaning against him, holding him, trying to bathe him with a damp cloth despite the fact that she could barely lift her arm. They knew that her efforts were futile and her own state had deteriorated so quickly that they weren't even sure that _she_ had a chance of making it through her illness.

She struggled feebly against them when they moved her to lie back in her cot and she could only struggle for breath and whimper, pleading with them to let her stay by her son's side, to help him instead of her. By the time she was under the covers on her bed again she was too weak to even throw herself on the ground and drag herself back to Edward's side.

Despite her weakness, the fever that raced through her body, and the inability to catch her breath, making her feel as if she were drowning, she refused to slip into unconsciousness. Her head was turned to the side and she watched Edward. Her baby. Her son.

God, her God, was a good, righteous God and he would not let a shining light such as her son slip from this world before he even had a chance to live. If anyone deserved to grow up, fall in love, have a family, and experience the wondrous type of life she'd led it was her son, Edward.

She lay there, watching him, but in her mind's eye she remembered when he had been born, the way he had felt in her arms the first time she'd held him. She thought about how he'd never outgrown that annoyed look when he was hungry and dinner was a few minutes late. His crooked smile was something that was so like his father's had been, but still his own. He was a wonderful boy who always knew what people around him needed, as if he could hear their thoughts. Her Edward was a good boy…a wonderful young man who still had too much to live for.

No, God would not be cruel. He had sent her an angel after all. Her angel doctor would find a way to save her son. Life could not be that cruel.

When Carlisle came back to check on the mother and son later that evening Edward was barely hanging on and though he shouldn't have been, he was so surprised to see just how far gone Mrs. Masen was. He checked on Edward first since he knew that his mother would make an exam difficult.

The woman was selfless when it came to her child.

It was apparent to him that Edward would not last much longer and all he could do was hope that the boy stayed unconscious so he wouldn't be aware and suffer. Looking at the young man's face he felt sadness was over him. It was not fair that a being with such goodness in his face should not get to live his life to the fullest. He only wished there were more in his power that he could do.

His mind briefly touched upon the idea that had been secreted in the back of his mind for close to a century now, the idea of a companion, but he quickly pushed those thoughts away. How could he condemn someone to this type of existence?

As he moved to Elizabeth's side and began to move to check her breathing he was startled as she reached out to grab his hand. He was even more surprised that she was grasping his hand so tightly that he could feel it despite his hard marble flesh. Perhaps she had enough strength in her to survive this epidemic after all.

Her emerald green eyes were wild with fear, but what interested him more than that was the hope that he still saw buried in their depths. How? How could this woman have so much hope despite the fact that she'd lost her husband and was so ill herself?

Her voice was hoarse, and since her breathing was labored it was barely a whisper, but despite all this there was a force to her words that had him leaning close to her.

He could not remember the last time he had been frightened, but as he leaned in and heard her words as she grasped at his hand he felt a thrill of fear run through him.

"You must…," she took a few more labored breaths, trying to fill her fluid drowned lungs enough to continue. "You must do everything in _your_ power. What others cannot do, that is what you must do for my Edward."

The fear became evident in his expression at her words. How did she know? How did she know what he was, _what he was capable of_!? He had no chance to ask her to clarify as her fingers loosened on his and her eyes slowly closed, the fever finally too much for her to fight off.

For the next hour he knelt there at her side, ironically in much the same posture as the statue that Elizabeth and her husband had danced in front of nearly two decades earlier. As he held her hand he felt her pulse become more thready and weak even as he heard her heart struggling to beat in her chest.

When death finally claimed her he was surprised yet again. When most of his patients died, no matter how much they had suffered, a calmness seemed to settle into their mortal remains and their features took on a look of peace. This was not the case with Mrs. Elizabeth Masen. Her face somehow not peaceful, not even in death.

It was that look on the mortal remains of the beautiful woman that helped him decide his course of action and leaving her there in her cot he turned to the boy that had been her son in mortality, but that would be his son in immortality. His mind was set.

And thus, with a love that transcended death, Elizabeth Masen found a way to save her son and made certain that he would indeed live forever.


	18. Epilogue

**Well, this is it…the end. Fin! **

**I know that people wanted something different for this epilogue or wanted the story to continue, but I thought that this was a different and interesting way of tying Elizabeth's story together and tying it to Edward's story in the "present."**

**I would appreciate any and all comments, good or bad, especially since there is no more to come in this story. I know some of you were hoping it would continue, but I thought this was the most fitting end to bring the story full circle.**

**Finally, thank you to those of you that have kept up with the story! I appreciate the comments and encouragement. I already have an idea for another story and will be starting it in the near future.**

**Damsell**

**Epilogue: Carlisle**

Carlisle had always noted that Edward was not the type to open up about his past. When Edward had been able after his transformation, he had helped him to collect the things that had been his families. Most of the properties had been liquidated, but he had kept some personal effects. As far as Carlisle knew he had given a few trinkets to Esme and Alice, but otherwise the things that were tied to his past were kept hidden away, if he still had them at all.

It was a marked difference from Carlisle's own way of dealing with his mortal years. He had the connections to that past out on display from his father's cross which was featured prominently in each home they had lived in to the collection of paintings which depicted scenes that were reminiscent of his human years.

It was not in his son's nature to share such things. He did begin to open up to Bella, but even then the story of Edward's mother had been something he had had to tell.

Which was why he was surprised when he returned one day from the hospital to find Bella and Edward curled up on the couch, Renesmee nearby in Rosalie's arms. This wasn't what surprised him, but the small trunk with a brass plate that was engraved with the name of Elizabeth Ward that lay open on the coffee table in front of him did.

He had seen Edward move it from place to place over the years, but he had never thought to intrude on his son's privacy and ask about its contents. Now he could see what was within. There was a few more pieces of jewelry, which explained where Edward had kept the different pieces he had given away before he had gifted them to his adopted mother, sister, and wife. There was a sapphire tie pin that must have been his father's. A handkerchief with the initials E.M., a christening gown, but it was not the trinkets and mementos within that surprised him, what surprised him were the pictures!

He did not know that Edward had photographic mementos of his time as a mortal, but there they were, being passed around by the family.

He sat next to Esme and quietly examined the pictures that were passed from one member of his family to another. There were giggles at the tintype of Edward as a toddler posing seriously on a black, wooden, toy horse. Had his son really been that small?

As the tintype of his parents' wedding photo was passed around Esme gushed at how beautiful she had been and Alice readily agreed. Yes, he remembered what a beautiful woman Elizabeth Masen had been and he added his own two cents, "She was much lovelier in person."

He could tell by Edward's smile that he was pleased with this assessment.

The picture of Edward and his father posing by the Model A Ford. Emmet joked with Bella that her old pick-up was probably slower than the old vehicle which had probably topped out at twenty miles an hour. Alice commented that Edward looked a lot like his father to which Bella had whispered that she found her own husband much more handsome.

This went on throughout the afternoon. Edward finally felt comfortable enough in this life now that he had Bella and their daughter at his side to share who he had been before he had entered this life.

He explained that the trunk had been his mother's hope chest and though he didn't reveal all the contents within, Carlisle was just pleasantly surprised that he was sharing as much as he was.

As the last photograph began to pass around he could see Bella helping Edward put away the other contents of the wooden trunk that had been removed.

He was the last to take the tintype in his hands and when he glanced at it he felt that if his heart still beat it would have pounded right out of his chest.

There in front of him was the familiar face of a young girl. He _knew_ this girl. He'd helped this girl.

Over the years, the memory of that day at the fair years ago came to him now and again for no specific reason. He had never forgotten that child's face after he had helped her. There had just been something about the look in her eyes that had intrigued him. He had even wondered what had happened to her over the years. Had she grown up happy and healthy? Had she found the love of her life and married? Had she had a family of her own?

The answers had been there before him all along.

Edward was the first one to notice his silence and sensing the strange direction of Carlisle thoughts about a girl at a fair there was concern in his voice as he spoke, "Carlisle, what is it?"

He could feel every set of eyes in the room on him now.

When he finally found his voice, he could hear the raw emotion in his tone. "Edward, this is your mother."

Edward, who had not picked up on the connections that Carlisle had made since they had happened too quickly for him to follow, looked confused and only nodded. "Yes, she was about eight or nine when she had that photograph taken for her grandparents."

He felt Esme's fingers curl around his hand as he continued to stare at the portrait.

Fate always had a way of surprising him. He thought of that day over a century ago, going over every detail in his mind. That beautiful little girl who he had rescued from the storm was Edward's mother. Now he knew her fate. She had grown up to be a beautiful woman who had had a beautiful child. She had repaid the simple act of kindness on his part by giving him the gift of a son.

As he glanced up at Edward he saw a number of emotions flicker across his son's face as Edward read his thoughts.

Everyone could sense that something was happening, but no one understood what.

Esme's voice finally penetrated his thoughts and she whispered. "Carlisle, love, what? What is it?"

He let his eyes leave Edward's briefly and he gave his wife a reassuring smile as he patted her hand and whispered his voice hoarse with emotion. "I'm fine, love." His gaze roamed to the rest of his family before they finally rested on Edward's again. "I'm going to tell you all a story of a young girl that got lost at a fair…"

**The End**


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